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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I have been impressed with ZZK and their roster of artists since I first found out about them in 2008. they continue to impress me with the amalgam of styles that they combine to make the ZZK sound. Now let's get straight to their latest mixtape by Douster so you can see what I mean.

Douster is a 23 year old producer from Lyon, France who has called Buenos Aires home for the better part of the last 2 years. At the age of 14 Douster started making beats and hasn't stopped since. Buenos Aires and Zizek Club proved to be highly fertile ground for Douster´s search for his own sound.

This mixtape, composed entirely of his own productions, shows the evidence of this influence: here the power of Electro is fused, remixed and edited with the rhythmic cadence of Cumbia and Reggaeton wrapped around Baile Funk, Kwaito, Wobble and a bunch of other unclassifiable genres I won´t even try to name.

In tune with his tour around North America and his set at Coachella, as part of the Zizek Tour 2009, Douster brings us the freshest in dance music, at the same time giving us a sneak peak of material soon to be released on a ZZK Records EP.

Infusion has been one of my favorite electronic acts for quite some time. I've seen them perform on numerous times and even had the pleasure of hanging out with them on several occasions. The Australian threesome are preparing to do a new tour and release a new album later this year. they were just in Texas at SxSW and gave folks there a taste of the new album. From what I hear...it's gonna be a stormer!

This is the video to 'Better World' so you can get an idea of what they do (for those not familiar with the band).

Here is their Essential Mix from 2004. It was done during their touring for their second album ' Six Feet Above Yesterday '. It gives you a sampling of tunes from their first two albums as well as a remix of Will Saul's 'Cliff'. This really is an Essential Mix!

Norman Cook is at it again and this time he is using the moniker `The BPA` (The Brighton Port Authority). The title of the album may not just be a quote from "Jaws" but a statement about how many people were involved with the album as every track on the debut, "I Think We`re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat", features a different vocalist. Most of the guests are relative unknowns outside of the British music scene although having David Byrne and Iggy Pop on your album doesn`t hurt.

Cook does a great job of getting something a little different from his vocalists and sometimes really surprises the listener with the final results. The album is pure pop with catchy choruses and foot tapping beats and melodies. Iggy does a great job on the first track `He`s Frank` as he dryly sings / talks. Tracks like `Local Town` Featuring Jamie T and `Toe Jam` Featuring David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal (an unlikely but very interesting pairing) are some the albums silliest (lyrically and musically) tracks. Then there`s `Jumps the Fence` featuring Colin Mockasin and `Seattle` featuring Emmy the Great - more down tempo and serious and could almost be on a completely different album. My favourite track on the album, `Spade`, features Martha Wainwright and sounds like a classic 70`s reggae track (which is a good thing).

There should be a little something for everyone as the album is a mash of rock, soul, and dance . If anyone has seen his Brighton parties in the past you know one thing Norman can do well is have fun and for the most part, that is exactly what the album delivers. Norman Cook has said in interviews that, with `The BPA`, he is forever retiring his Fatboy Slim moniker. This may or may not be a bad thing (I love early Fatboy Slim) but as long as Cook keeps making music, I will keep listening. If this is a sign of how the music of 2009 will be, we are in for a really good year.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Here's a little blast from the past. Hard to believe that it was 10 years ago that Basement Jaxx did this amazing essential mix. It's one of my personal favorites that gets a few spins every year. The Whitney/Oizo bootleg is inspired!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

`The Power Of Negative Thinking: B-Sides and Rarities` consists of material from the `Barbed Wire Kisses`, `The Sound Of Speed` and `The Jesus And Mary Chain Hate Rock and Roll` compilations, alongside unreleased tracks and rarities from throughout their career; including early performances, unheard demos, re-mixes, alternate versions of some songs and bootleg recordings. I would go on about all the exceptional tracks included in this collection but there are just too many to list as the entire set fills 4 discs with around 82 tracks.

This collection equals almost anything they released on their studio albums (some being better!) and if you took all the unreleased tracks, they would surpass the albums that many of their inevitable copycats produced. This collection showcases the band`s sound and shows that it is as important and fresh now as it was back in the 80`s. It also cements (at least for me) their place in musical history.

I am not sure the average listener will be as excited about the box set as most fans, which is the only drawback to the set. This is, however, a must for fans and if you love the feedback and reverb soaked sound The Jesus and Mary Chain are known for, why are you still reading this right now? Go get it!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Arnaud Rebotini is one half of the french electro duo, Blackstrobe. I like Blackstrobe but, to me, Rebotini is making better music without his other half, DJ Ivan Smagghe. Rebotini, using vintage analog equipment (no laptops!) such as the ARP Odyssey, Korg`s Mono/Poly and Roland`s TR-808, Rebotini, has made an excellent debut solo album. There are hints of Nitzer Ebb, Black Devil (in dub), Aphex Twin, Underworld and even a little Jean Michel Jarre for good measure.

`The Spirit of Boogie` and `Un Cheval D`ogeil` set the tone of the album with sythn and bass heavy tracks that are dark and driving. `Cm` feels like the club version of one of Aphex Twins more ambient tracks while `The Swamp Waltz` could easily be the musical version of someone losing their mind, as the syths reach a fever pitch at the peak of the track. My Favorite track on the album `Conakry Filter Sweep` is a 10 minute journey through sick bass lines, arpeggiators and all kinds of filter sweeps (imagine that). The whole album is instrumental and (thankfully) there is no feedback, distortion or vocoders to be found. Just pure dark electro pulsating house music. As Rebotini once said of the album "This is vintage modern music."

This is hands down my favorite release of the year ( so far) and I can`t wait to here more from Arnaud. I really hope Rebotini is not just a one off project. This album is great on the headphones, turned up to 11 on the stereo (mine goes to 11!) and would be ace in any club. Regardless of where you listen to it, make sure it`s turned all the way up. Trust me on this one, get it now, you`ll thank me.